Tag Archives: faith

Lamentations, chapters 1-5

“Let us lift up our hearts along with our hands to God in the heavens […]”
~Lamentations 3:41

Is God your best friend?
Jehovah God wants us to reach out to him in heartfelt prayer. (Ps. 65:2)
But it might be difficult to open up to someone we cannot see or physically listen to.
Even if we cannot find the right words, if we continuously try to reach out to God in prayer, he understands what we are trying to say. (Rom. 8:26,27)
God is not just looking for routine acts of worship or words.
He wants us to “lift up our hearts along with our hands.”
This indicates sincere motivation coupled with good deeds.
Perhaps in the past we have been guilty of loving God half-heartedly, afraid of giving more than we were already giving to his service. (Re. 3:16)
Or perhaps we have even been guilty of being double-hearted, verbally committing to something while we secretly resolved not to carry it through. (Matt. 15:7,8)
How comforting it is to know that if we repent, reexamine our lives, and seek God again with all our heart, he will forgive us and be our friend. (Jer. 29:12,13)
In the prophet Jeremiah’s day, most became obstinate in their behavior while others just pretended to repent, and this hurt Jehovah. (Jer. 3:10; 8:6)
Let us make sure every day that what we are doing in God’s service is motivated by whole-hearted love for him and we can trust that he will do his part. (Ps. 10:17; Ps. 119:145)

Jeremiah, chapters 51 & 52

“‘[…] They will sleep a lasting sleep,
From which they will not wake up,’ declares Jehovah.”
~Jeremiah 51:39

The Bible explains that there are at least two different types of deaths.
One is the death of someone whom God will resurrect in Paradise, a death Jesus likened to sleep. (Luke 23:39-43; John 11:11-13)
The other death the Bible refers to is that which results in nothingness, nonexistence, simply dust and ashes. (Gen. 3:17,19; Isa. 66:24; Luke 12:4,5; Rev. 20:15)
God foretold through his prophet Jeremiah that Babylon’s leaders would receive permanent punishment for the war crimes they committed, reiterating in verse fifty-seven that they would not benefit from the resurrection hope. (Jer. 51:6, 9, 24, 25, 35, 47, 49, 56)
This prophecy was fulfilled in the year 539 b.C.E., when the city fell in one night to the Mede and Persian armies while the empire’s leaders celebrated a banquet. (Daniel 5:1-3, 30)
Because Jehovah God has appointed his son Jesus as judge, it is unwise for us to speculate whether someone who does not serve God today will not benefit from the resurrection in Paradise. (Acts 10:36,42)

Jeremiah, chapters 44-48

“The sword of Jehovah!
How long will you not be quiet?
Go back into your sheath.
Take your rest and be silent.
How can it be quiet
When Jehovah has given it a command?”
~Jeremiah 47:6,7

When God pronounces judgment against someone, his word is as good as done.
His word ‘does not return to him without results […] It will certainly accomplish whatever is his delight, and it will have success in what he sends it to do.’ (Isa. 55:10,11)
In contrast, us humans are subject to many circumstances, most of which are outside of our control, and many of our plans fail to come to fruition. (Jam. 4:13,14)
Bearing that in mind, the best way we can ensure our plans will be successful is if we commit our ways to Jehovah. (Ps. 37:5)
Circumstances will try our faith and patience, but God promises to bring about justice to those who serve him. (De. 32:10; Ps. 37:7-9)

Jeremiah, chapters 32-34

“[…] I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they will not turn away from me.”
~Jeremiah 32:40

Fear of God is not a morbid fear.
It refers to the fear of displeasing him, just like we would not want to let down someone who loves and trusts us.
It involves having a healthy positive attitude toward spiritual matters. (Matt. 5:3; Acts 13:48)
Jehovah God attracts people to him through Bible truths. (John 6:44)
When we have the right heart condition, we respond to his truths by learning more and drawing closer to him. (Ps. 25:9)
Jehovah thus allows a strong relationship to develop and with it, a healthy fear of displeasing him.
Many of us have found that cultivating such a relationship with our Maker has given life authentic purpose. (Eccl. 12:13)

Jeremiah, chapters 29-31

“[…] ‘You will search for me with all your heart. And I will let you find me,’ declares Jehovah.”
~Jeremiah 29:13,14

How do we show God we are sincerely searching for him?
One way is through heartfelt prayer.
“Make me know your ways, O Jehovah; Teach me your paths.” (Ps. 25:4)
Like the psalmist, we need to display humility and recognize we need God’s guidance.
Jehovah invites even those who have strayed from him to come back to him.
“If you search for Jehovah your God from there, you will certainly find him, if you inquire for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in great distress and all these things have happened to you in later times, then you will return to Jehovah your God and listen to his voice. For Jehovah your God is a merciful God. He will not desert you […]” (De. 4:29-31)
But it is not enough to recognize our own sins. (La. 3:41,42)
Seeking Jehovah implies learning about his personality: what God likes and dislikes and then conforming to his standards. (Je. 31:34)
To find God, we must try to imitate his mercy, ridding ourselves of feelings of hatred toward those who have wronged us. (Mt. 6:12)
Then God allows us to find his peace and a solid hope for the future. (Jer. 29:11,12)

Jeremiah, chapters 25-28

“‘You would not listen to me,’ declares Jehovah. ‘Instead you offended me with the work of your hands, to your own calamity.’”
~Jeremiah 25:7

When someone decides to take it upon him or herself to oppose God’s written will, they are doing so to their own detriment.
The day comes when God ‘makes his voice heard,’ and he will personally pass judgment on everyone of us. (Jer. 25:30,31)
But God does not come like a merciless executioner.
Jehovah is now teaching us and guiding us through his written word for our own benefit. (Isa. 48:17,18)
Like Jeremiah, our resolve to obey God may subject us to temporary persecution and suffering, but we faithfully continue to share God’s message knowing he gives even the evildoer a chance to repent. (Jer. 26:3,13,15)
Nevertheless, the day will come when God will realize his vision of justice. (Hab. 2:3,4)
It is not as one religious leader proclaimed- that God’s mercy “never runs out.”
Jehovah is a judge of justice and action; not an indulging authority figure who is only bluffing.

Jeremiah, chapters 22-24

“The windstorm of Jehovah will burst out in fury;
Like a whirling tempest it will whirl down on the head of the wicked.”
~Jeremiah 23:19

In the prophet’s day, the kings and elders were corrupting justice for selfish gain. (Jer. 22:13; 23:1,2,10,11)
We should not let ourselves be consumed by wrathful anger when injustice seems to prevail, because God promises to ultimately bring the wicked to justice.
When God’s justice strikes down, it can be compared to a hurricane.
Can anyone stand in God’s way?
But there is calm in the eye of a hurricane.
If we learn to stand in ‘God’s inner circle’ by repenting and paying attention to his Word, we will be safe and at peace when that day comes. (Jer. 23:5,22)

Jeremiah, chapters 17-21

“​Every man wishing me peace was watching for my downfall. […]
But Jehovah was with me like a fearsome warrior […].”
~Jeremiah 20:10,11

Perhaps we have all experienced the sadness of finding out a close friend of ours is a false friend with selfish motivations.
Or perhaps someone has ruined our reputation and we watch alone as most of our acquaintances draw away from us, waiting for our fall.
In the prophet’s case, his emotional anguish was so great, he regretted ever having been born at all. (Jer. 20:14-18)
Ideally, we are surrounded by a loving brotherhood, but as the proverb says, “there are companions ready to crush one another.” (Prov. 18:24)
Jehovah God, on the other hand, ‘sees the innermost thoughts and the heart.’ (Jer. 20:12)
He sincerely wants us to draw close to him. (Ja. 4:8)
We can rely on him, confident that he will bring our case to justice and persecutors will be put to shame.

Jeremiah, chapters 12-16

“Jehovah said: ‘I will surely minister to you for good;
I will surely intercede for you in the time of calamity,
In the time of distress against the enemy.'”
~Jeremiah 15:11

Have you ever had the experience of setting forth to do good and not finding any support from those around you?
The prophet Jeremiah should have been supported by the people of Judah because they were God’s chosen People, but they violently opposed his work.
He began to fear for his life.
He confided his feelings to God in prayer. (Jer. 15:15)
He sought comfort in God’s Word and was able to experience joy in his ministry once more. (Jer. 15:16)
When we put our faith in Jehovah God that he is in fact collaborating with us in our ministry, we can endure apathy and even violent persecution with a joyful heart, knowing that God has our back. (Jer. 15:19-21; 1 Cor. 3:9)

Jeremiah, chapters 5-7

“[…] In order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, something that I had not commanded and that had never even come into my heart.”
~Jeremiah 7:31

The people of Judah’s sinful inclination to worship idols had led them to the point of burning their own children in altars to false gods.
Jehovah God makes it very clear that their form of worship had nothing to do with him.
He had sent them prophets warning them of their evil ways but his People had stubbornly ignored him. (Jer. 7:13,26)
The disheartened practices of parents in those days may be somewhat shocking by today’s standards, but there are people who still teach that hellfire is a Divine punishment for wrongdoers.
Jehovah says the practice of burning people has ‘never even come into his heart.’
Although Jesus did refer to the “fiery Gehenna,” historically this was a valley of refuse where dead bodies unworthy of graves were thrown out and cremated. (Matt. 5:22; 10:28; Insight on the Scriptures, vol. 1)
Jesus was not referring to a place of torment, but a place of utter destruction.
By comparing God’s principles with ancient practices, most conscientious Bible students can conclude that the teaching of torment by hellfire is false. (1 John 4:8)